Lamp-socket device



P 1930. D. M. LE FEVER 8 LAMP SOCKET DEVICE Filed Feb. 11, 1926 61mm e 1 1 Patented Sept. 9 1930 DANIEL M, EFEVERJoFsYRAQUsE, NE YORK, ASSIGNOR. TO Passe ssymqeg,

PATENTIOFFIJCE CQBPORATED, OFSYRACUSE, new YORK, A 'oonrom'rrolvor NE YORK mLAMPsSOCKETDEVICE 7 Application as Eebruary" 11 192a SeriaiiW 87,646.

a it This invention relates to" socket de- .vices and more particularlyto locking means for-preventing the unscrewing: of sockets whichare attachedto fixtures by having their outer shells threaded intoapertures in the It isa. general object of the inven 7 tion to provide anovel an'dimproved device comprise alocking slideadapted to be ar for securing lamp sockets in fixtures andlpre venting their unscrewing under any conditions 7 7' i More particularlyit is an object ofthis in vention to provide a one-way lockingor se} curing devicejfor preventing sockets from they are mounted! .7

becoming unscrewed from fixtures inwhich v In general the invention may be said to ranged in a recess in one of the threads of tion mounted therein;

7 position; r i I o is a similar view ShOWIIIg the sllde a other means had to be resorted to to retain,

pair of complementary threaded members, saidnslidefbeinglprovided withmeansto cause it to move to-a position to wedge between the two threads upon. an attempted'unscrew -j ingo-f the two membersl r p I best understood by Theinvention may be reference to the following Specification and the accompanying drawings Where1n is}dis-.

closed, by way of example, only, a single em} bodiment of the present invention, with the understanding, however, thatvarious changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing fro nfthe spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe appended claims. nl r id r i gs r "Fig; 1 isia section through afixture of a well known type showing a pair of sockets c onstructed according Fig. Qis a sideelevation of a s ocket Fig; 3 is a; transverse section on line 3+8 Fig. 4

a in its maximum locked position; and g I partial vertical section 1011 line:

i I other compound: was; pouredflaround' the 7 socket. on the inside of the fixture so as tov 5 5 of Fi .2.

natural size.

In the electric lightingarti there a fgt present used a number of styles of fixtures to the present invennishinga In the earlier developmentof these fixtures theyjwere made ofthin sheet metal and provided with circular holes punched which areoff the two-part porcelain construcs in the metal to receiveasigntypewreceptacles tion. The screwfshell of the socket passed throughthe hole, and a porcelain ring was threaded on the same to hold the socketin placel This construction was objectionable from the artisticsta'ndpoint for the porcelain rings were visible. The bettenmanufacturers endeavored to avoid this by nsing theqcon ventional form of brass shell receptacle provided near its end with I a thread to receive a shaderringl T his thread was engaged with a complemei'itary threadformed in a pressed: in sleeve in the pan, the bead on the socket f0rminga stop to prevent the socket from extending through theuhole and projecting into view "onthe outside ofthe fixture. This formof construction, while excellentfrom the artistic standpoint, was j nevertheless subject to: obj ections. The socket being screwed into position fromthe insidewas' loosened when lamps were screwedinto the socket, for the movement tendingto tighten thelamp in the socket likewisetended to loosenthesocket in the fixture. Ithence became necessaryl to solder the shell of the socket to the pan on theinside, 1 f

Another and later development of the pan type fixtureirequired itto be more irregular n shape with designsin relief onthe outer surface thereof and'suchfixturesare molded of-soft metal in a slush mold Themetalis so softthat is not readily soldered, so that the-sockets in position. 7 Sometimes waxor hold the socket in "po sition; but "this is at l best a jobyf The present invention contemplates the provision of a locking means on the socket adapted to cooperate with the material of the threads in the hole in the fixture, no matter what its composition, which, while allow ing the socket to be readily threaded into the fixture, prevents it from being backed out or unscrewed.

Referring to the drawing, there is disclosed in Fig. 1 at a pantype fixture of conventional form provided with any number, here shown as two, threaded openings 11 of a size to receive the shell of a socket. The socket of the present invention is disclosed generally at 12. The electricalfeatures of the socket and the construction of the lamp retaining parts form no part of the present invention and have neither been shown nor will they be described. The eX- terior she'll 131 of the socket is formed of a relatively soft metal whichcan be pressedor drawn into the form ofa cuphaving-a closed bottom 14, straight cylindrical sides and an open end 15 to receive the lampbase. Near the open end there is pressed or otherwise formed an. external circumferential bead 16, which is adapted to fit against the inner surface of the fixture to form a limiting stop as shown in F 1. Just beyond the head the metal is pressed into screw threads 17 best shown in Fig. 2 adapted to be threaded into the complemental. threads in the opening 11 in the fixture so that .thesocket can be threaded into the openingfrom the inside of the fixture and project but slightly from the outside of'the fixture.

i To prevent the socket from becoming unscrewed when a lamp such as 18 is screwed into the socket a locking slide 19 is provided. This slide comprises a short arcuate section of thin resilientmetal slightly narrower than the length of the threaded por tion on the socket. To accommodate this locking slide 19 the threads17' are stamped or pressed fiat and inwardly of the general surface of the shell 13 to form the two spaced recesses 20 and 21 each having a width su h: as to allow free movement of the locking slide therein. A, portion of the thread between these two recesses is retained intact as shown,

rt-22. The recess 21 has its bottom wall con centric with the wall '13 of the socket and cut away from the same at its endsrbetween apertures 23 and 24-. The aperture 23 also separates this wall from the retained-portion of,

the threads 22; a similar manner the aperture 25Hseparates the other recess from the portion 22. The outer surface, of the bottom wall 26' of the recess 21 is a sufficient distance below the innersurfaceof the portion 22 to accommodate the thickness of. the locking slide 19; which is, threaded through the apertures 23 and125, so, as to lie with, its

end in the recesses2Q and audits inter:

mm-edi'ate section beneath the'part22. The

slide is sufficiently resilient to allow it to be sprung into this position after which the part 22 prevents it from being displaced.

The bottom wall 27 of the recess 20, is, adjacent the aperture 25, depressed to the same depth as the wall 26 of the other recess, but from that point gradually slopes outwardly to the tops of the threads 17 as best shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

The locking slide is of a length somewhat less than the aggregate length of the two recesses and the portion 22 and its ends are turned upward substantially normal to its arcuate intermediate portion. These upturned ends are, however, not of suficient length to reach quite to the curved surface forming the limit of the threads 17. The upturned end or lug 28 which lies in the recess having a sloped bottom is cut off square on its end, whereas the end 29 is clipped as shown at 30 in Fig. 5, so that its extreme tip lies in the extension ofthethread against which it can abut when, the slide is in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the upturned end against the edge of the aperture 24- which forms a limiting stop for the same.

The sharp tip 30 is, owing to the resilience of the slide 19, caused to lightly engage the threads the opening 11 in the. fixture when the socket is beingscrewedinto position and at all times when it is in position. Assuming that the thread is aright hand one, then the slight engagement of this tip 30 with the threads in the opening 11 serves to retain the locking slide in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the tip 28 just above the lowest portion of the inclined bottom 27 so that it is not projected out into engagement with the tips of the threads in the opening 11. The slide remains in this positionwhile the. socket is being screwed; into the'aperture in the fixture.

Upon an attempted unscrewing of the socket, the locking slide, by virtue of the engagementlof its tip 30 with the thread in the fixture, remains stationary, and the socket moves slightly inrespect, to it but in so doing the portion of the locking slide, adjacent the tip 28 is caused to slide up on the inclined surface 27 and project the tip into, engagement with the threads in, the fixture opening. This further prevents any rotational movement of the locking slide sothat any further attempt to unscrew the socket only serves to force the portion 28 harder against the threads of the opening in the fixture-by virtue oflthe inclinedbottom 27'sliding up on the locking lug, and thus the socketis effectively preventedfrom being unscrewed.

The portion 22 servesmerely to retain the locking slide in position when the socket is not in the fixture and in consequence of this could be. omitted Thercforethe two recesses adapted to receive the locking slide may be consideredas a single-large. recess provided with. a, sloping; or; cam..surface suchas 27, at

tained in position and can readily move to its proper place upon the occurrence of a reverse movement of the socket shell.

The invention has been illustrated in con junction with an electric socket and fixture,

although it is obvious that it may be applied in a number of other cases where it is desired to provide a non-removable threaded part.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired tobe secured by Letters Patent is:

'1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a pair of complementary threaded members, one of said members having a portion of the threads removed to pro vide a-recess, a bottorn wall for said recess having one end sloping to thetop of the threads of its member in the direction of unscrewing said member, a locking slide loose in said recess, a portion thereof adapted to light ly engage the threads in said other member and a second portion thereon adapted to be pressed into engagement with said" other member by saidsloping bottom wall upon an attempted unscrewing operation.

2. In a device of the class described, in

f combination, ,a pair of complementary i threaded members, one of said members hav ing a portion of the threads removed to provide a recess, a bottom.wall' for said recess having one end sloping tothe top of the threads of its member in the direction of unscrewing said member, a locking slide'loose in said recess, a portion thereof adapted to light ly engage the threads in said other member, a second portion thereon adapted to be pressed into engagement with said other attempted unscrewing operation and means member bysaid sloping bottom wall upon an to retain saidslide in said recess when the members are separated. r

. a 3. In an electrlc socket adapted to be screwed into a threaded opening-in a fixture, in combination, a'shell having an external thread a portion of which is removed to form a recess having a bottom wall a portionof which slopes outwardly, a locking slide loosely mounted inrfsaid reces's, and means on said slide to draw the sameawayfrom said slop ing-bottom upon I said fixture.

screwin said socket into 4, In an electric socket adapted to be screwed into a threadedopeningin a fixture,

in combination, a shell having an external thread a portion of which is removedto form a recess having a bottom wall a portion of which slopes outwardly, a locking slide loosely mounted in said'recess, and means on said lock. the same in said' fixture;

slide to drawthe same up said sloping bottom upon an attempted unscrewing of said socket V to :lock the, same in said fixture. 1

-5. In an electricrcsocketwadapted screwed into athreaded openingin a fixture,

in combination, a shell having an external thread a portion OfWlllOll isremoved to form a recess havinga bottom wall flPOTlSlOIPOf which slopes outwardly, a lockingslideloose draw said slide away fromsaid'sloping bot- 7 ,tom upon screwing said socket: into saidrfixture.

ly mounted in saidrecess, and means on said slide to engagethe threads of said. fixture Ito '6. In an electricsocket adapted to be screwed into athreade'd opening in a fixture,

in combination, a shell having an external thread a portion of which is removedto form a recess having abottomwall a portion'of which slopes outwardly, a locking slidelooseanattempted unscrewing of said +7. In "an electric" socket adapted to sc'rewedinto athreaded opening in a fixture, intcombinatioina shell having anexternal thread. a portion of which is removed to forma recess having a bottom'wall a'por tion ofwhich slopes outwardly, aldcking slideloosely mounted therein, means on said slide to engage the threads of said fixture to move said slide away from said sloping botture, and to causesaid slide to move along and 'up said slope upon anattempted untom upon screwing saidsocket into said fixscrewing ofsaid socket to jam said slidebetween said socket and fixture to lockthem together. i .i l

8. In an electric socket adapted: to be screwed into a threaded opening in a fixture,

-85 ly mountedin said recess, and; means on'said 1 slide to engage the threads Sof'said fixture to r draw said slide up said slopingbottom upon socket to in combination, a thin shell having pressed threads toengage said fixture,'two spaced portions of said threads being flattened and pressed inwardly toprovide recesses, said said recesses, athin slide adapted to rest in shell having apertures therethru at each end of one recess'and at the, end of said other recess adjacent the threaded section between X both'recesses and pass under the portion be; i

tween them, said slide being shorter than:

the arcuate distance between remote ends of said recesses, the unapertured end of one recess having its bottom' wall sloping out-l .120 I wardly, and means on said slide to lightly engage the threads of saidfixture when'the socket is screwed into position.

9. In an electric lsocket adapted to be screwed into a threaded opening in a fixture, in combination, a thin shell having pressed threads to engage said fixture, two spaced portions ofsaid threads being flattened and pressed inwardly to-provide recesses,said

shell having apertures therethru at eachencl of one recess and at the end of said other recess adjacent the threaded section between said recesses, a thin slide adapted to rest in both recesses and pass under the portion! between them, said slide being shorterthan the arcuate distance between remote ends of said recesses, the unapertured end of one recess having its bottom wall sloping outwardly, and means projecting from said slide to lightly engage the threads of said fixture when the socket is screwed into position, said means drawing the end of the slide away from said sloping bottom when the socket is being screwed in but causing said slide to move up said slope to jam between it and the threads of the fixture upon attempted unscrewing of said socket.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, a member having an internal thread, a second member having a comple mentary external thread, one of the said threads having a portion thereof omitted to form a recess and a cam surface leading from the bottom of said recess to the top of the corresponding threads, an elongated locking means in said recess and means'to cause said locking means to slide along said cam surface upon an unscrewing operation to lock said threaded parts together. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

DANIEL M. LE FEVER. 

